Hi guys I played an interesting hand yesterday at a 2/5 NL table and would like some feedback on the way I approached the hand.

Starting stacks:

Hero: $700
Villain: $560

UTG+2 limps. Hero in MP opens to $30. Villain calls on the BTN. The blinds and the limper fold.

The flop comes: A 9 A $67 in pot

Hero bets $35. Villain calls.

The turn brings a 2 $137 in pot

Hero bets $70. Villain calls.

The river brings an 8 $277 in pot

Hero checks. Villain bets $225. Hero????

Villain is very loose. He limp calls a ton, raises on some occasions, and heavily chases draws. He bluffs/value bets worse hands often as well. Against such a player, the river bet indicated busted draws + combo draws 9x of spades, TT, JJ, and maybe QQ. Villain will have Ax some of the time but I believe not as often as the hand types mentioned above.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Its a strange one, if he has any showdown value you would expect him to check it behind on the river, its either an ace or a bluff in my opinion, you have invested $135 into the pot so far and its another $225 to win $727 which is just over 2/1 ..by calling your only beating a bluff which is possible given the description supplied of villian, TBH i would sigh fold here and wait on a better spot,

After V check the turn I think I am shutting down or caling a small bet on the river. He has plenty of Ax combos in his range and if he is bluffing with a 9x once in a while thats ok.

Did you had Ks? he could have KsQs or QsJs even JsTs? or AQ AJ AT? I would bet the turn bigger or checked. as play I call if no Ks in hand.

I had K K indeed . Sorry I forgot to mention that in my OP.

Where are you getting these numbers? What we have invested so far is irrelevant. The decision is whether to bet $225 for a chance to win $502.

Bet larger on the Flop. When he missed his draws what were the sizing of his river bluffs? As played im calling the river bet. Getting 2:1 on a call and as per your description of villain he shows up with a busted flush draw or value bets a weaker 2pair hand more often than that.

well $502 +$225 =$727 obv im counting the total pot

I stand corrected tho,

I'm honestly ok with checking a street. I think I prefer betting flop checking turn and stationing river vs a villan that likes to bluff and can value get worse hands. It adds deception and the flop situation is usually a way ahead or way behind situation were getting 3 streets of value can be very difficult.

I'm curios about your pre flop sizing, do you always make it 6 or 7x the BB? At 2/5 I think it's time to start being aware that some villans may pick up on this as being a monster hand. Especially if it's more than your typical raise size.

. +1

Agreed. I would probably fold to the typical 2/5 reg, but given your player description, I don't know how you expect anybody to really justify a fold.

Checking turn for deception? I think that the benefit of checking for deception is far less than the benefit of extracting value from draws on such a board. Given that it is a far ahead far behind spot, I can extract 2 streets of value from draws and possibly induce a bluff on the river a decent percentage of the time compared to checking the turn "therefore losing value" and maybe inducing a bluff on the river.

With V's description, I probably call this river. H's check on river gives V the perfect bluffing spot.

I would have checked turn or fired a third barrel on river. If check on river was to induce, H must call.

How does V see H? Is H tight? Does he usually fold? Is H a station?

Most $2/5 players would raise at some point with any A, especially with a flush draw on the board. Smells like a busted flush draw or a 9 he's turning into a bluff. 9's full would raise at some point IMO, can't imagine 22 calls a flop bet, nor does 88 call two streets. Not to mention any hand that wants to value bet would generally not pot the river after you double-barreled. If V thinks you tried to run a bluff, he's not going to bet so much for value in case you do have a hand. Nor is he going to bet a marginal hand if you've got nothing. All-in-all I call this given read on V.

Villain views me as a tight player. I don't get involved in many pots and tend to fold to aggression OOP.

I advocate checking the turn for pot control....

With this information, I would definitely call.

I cannot pot control OOP. Moreover, even IP why pot control on a FD board against such a loose villain?

You seem like you like the way you played the hand so not sure why you're posting for feedback...

You're in a heads up pot OOP with a loose, bluff capable type villain and since he called your preflop and flop bet...this makes you instantly put him on a flush draw?? Very possibly could be floating in hopes of taking the pot. I don't want to be put to a tough decision by betting on turn and getting bluffed off KK....you have 2nd pair simply...checking the turn will induce a bet from V on river. Just check/calling down and going off my reads.

As played, you already worked out the hand in your head....now follow thru and call. Your check on river was in hopes he'd bet out his missed flush draw, right??

Yes indeed. Your logic can be applied when IP since I can pot control on the turn and induce river bluffs. However, OOP I will be put to a tough decision regardless if villain bets turn and river so why not try to control bet sizing while still inducing a river bluff?

OP, results?

FYP

Snap calling.

Any monster value hand is raising the turn and he would bet way less with a marginal ace rag.

Btw agaisnt described V I really like betting very small to induce (as small as 50-80). Those kinds of spazzy villains will interpret this as weakness and will think "well the only way to win this hand is to raise" & you can snap his incoming shove.

I am checking turn, you need a super strong read to go for the bet, bet, c/c here IMO

and I go bigger on flop

I like the line. Calling River here unless I catch soul read of strength. Your getting good odds here vs describe V.